The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for computing hemodynamic blood pressure, in some embodiments using optical sensors.
Hypertension is a major risk indicator for coronary heart diseases, renal failure, stroke and other various illnesses, and it is the primary global risk for mortality. Blood pressure measurements are essential to manage the risks resulting from hypertension or sudden stroke.
Hypertension is a worldwide disease that is spreading. Its prevalence has been rising over the years. Today it is the primary global risk factor for mortality, and causes about 13% of deaths worldwide. High blood pressure levels are related to peripheral artery diseases, renal deficiency, retinal hemorrhage and visual impairment. Observational epidemiological studies have shown interdependence between blood pressure and vascular mortality, consequently the “prehypertension” range is also being investigated during the recent years. This “prehypertension” range, i.e. 120 to 139 mm Hg for the systolic blood pressure and 80 to 89 mm Hg for the diastolic blood pressure, was found to be quite frequent in the world population and may also lead to coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. As a result, blood pressure measurements may act as a risk indicator for various diseases and monitoring it may postpone or even prevent those illnesses. Today, the common technique for measurement is the oscillometric technique, due to its convenience and availability. Frequent home blood pressure measurements can foresee morbid events better than the occasional clinical monitoring, and can also overlook the ‘white coat effect’, a known phenomenon of an increase in the blood pressure in the presence of a physician.